The Halt
@thehalt.bsky.social
Occasional poems, prose and photographs by Brian Lewis (editor/publisher, Longbarrow Press). 'East Wind' (2015) and 'White Thorns' (2017) published by Gordian Projects.
A few poems re-presented as part of the Colour in Conversation residency / research project led by artists and writers Stu Burke, Gary Simmonds, and @emmabolland.bsky.social in Sheffield last week.
July 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
A few poems re-presented as part of the Colour in Conversation residency / research project led by artists and writers Stu Burke, Gary Simmonds, and @emmabolland.bsky.social in Sheffield last week.
The books go to their readers, one by one, at times quickly, at times slowly, halfway around the world or halfway across the city. There is no supply chain, not as such, only the postal network, irregular events, direct sales to bookshops, local distribution.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/inventory
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/inventory
April 29, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The books go to their readers, one by one, at times quickly, at times slowly, halfway around the world or halfway across the city. There is no supply chain, not as such, only the postal network, irregular events, direct sales to bookshops, local distribution.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/inventory
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/inventory
"The card is for my mother. I will post it to her tomorrow. I don’t know when Easter cards became part of our lives. The card is left blank for the message and the message is the handwriting, nothing more."
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/l...
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/l...
April 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
"The card is for my mother. I will post it to her tomorrow. I don’t know when Easter cards became part of our lives. The card is left blank for the message and the message is the handwriting, nothing more."
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/l...
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/l...
'We can dream a future, we can turn to the past, we can be anywhere but the present.'
A month of Lockdown Walks, walked and written up over 30 consecutive days, 24 March – 22 April 2020.
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com?s=lockdown+w...
A month of Lockdown Walks, walked and written up over 30 consecutive days, 24 March – 22 April 2020.
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com?s=lockdown+w...
March 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
'We can dream a future, we can turn to the past, we can be anywhere but the present.'
A month of Lockdown Walks, walked and written up over 30 consecutive days, 24 March – 22 April 2020.
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com?s=lockdown+w...
A month of Lockdown Walks, walked and written up over 30 consecutive days, 24 March – 22 April 2020.
longbarrowblog.wordpress.com?s=lockdown+w...
'The books of the Merit Students Encyclopedia were uniform in size. The volumes were divided by words, not letters, and the words were printed on the spine. BAT CAIRO. CLOISTER DIGITALIS. MASS MUSES. When I was old enough to open the books I reached for REVERE SHINTO.'
February 25, 2025 at 9:58 AM
'The books of the Merit Students Encyclopedia were uniform in size. The volumes were divided by words, not letters, and the words were printed on the spine. BAT CAIRO. CLOISTER DIGITALIS. MASS MUSES. When I was old enough to open the books I reached for REVERE SHINTO.'
An attempt at a 'cartographic ekphrasis' of Frank Auerbach's 'Maples Demolition, Euston Road', written and presented in July 2018, and shared in the wake of the painter's death.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/maples-dem...
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/maples-dem...
November 12, 2024 at 3:56 PM
An attempt at a 'cartographic ekphrasis' of Frank Auerbach's 'Maples Demolition, Euston Road', written and presented in July 2018, and shared in the wake of the painter's death.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/maples-dem...
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/maples-dem...
Preparing to read from 'Local Distribution' in The Green Room, Conway Hall, at @smallpublishers.bsky.social on Friday. Thanks to everyone who attended the reading (and to Molly for the photo).
October 28, 2024 at 4:22 PM
Preparing to read from 'Local Distribution' in The Green Room, Conway Hall, at @smallpublishers.bsky.social on Friday. Thanks to everyone who attended the reading (and to Molly for the photo).
As part of @smallpublishers.bsky.social 2024, and in a late change to the advertised programme, I'll be reading in The Green Room (at the rear of the Conway Hall) at 3.30pm on Friday.
Full listings for the Fair's readings and talks on Friday and Saturday:
smallpublishersfair.co.uk/readings-2024/
Full listings for the Fair's readings and talks on Friday and Saturday:
smallpublishersfair.co.uk/readings-2024/
October 23, 2024 at 8:15 AM
As part of @smallpublishers.bsky.social 2024, and in a late change to the advertised programme, I'll be reading in The Green Room (at the rear of the Conway Hall) at 3.30pm on Friday.
Full listings for the Fair's readings and talks on Friday and Saturday:
smallpublishersfair.co.uk/readings-2024/
Full listings for the Fair's readings and talks on Friday and Saturday:
smallpublishersfair.co.uk/readings-2024/
"A pylon was a unit of length. It was a means of calculating distance and time. The legs of the towers were callipers that pivoted through the landscape."
'Landscapes of Power': a conversation between photographer Martyn J Bull and Brian Lewis.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/landscapes...
'Landscapes of Power': a conversation between photographer Martyn J Bull and Brian Lewis.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/landscapes...
October 6, 2024 at 4:23 PM
"A pylon was a unit of length. It was a means of calculating distance and time. The legs of the towers were callipers that pivoted through the landscape."
'Landscapes of Power': a conversation between photographer Martyn J Bull and Brian Lewis.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/landscapes...
'Landscapes of Power': a conversation between photographer Martyn J Bull and Brian Lewis.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/landscapes...
"A red admiral, the only colour on the bridleway, the only colour in my mind. To step out of your own path, for a moment, to see yourself as a point on a line."
A walk from West Kennet: seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
August 31, 2024 at 7:42 AM
"A red admiral, the only colour on the bridleway, the only colour in my mind. To step out of your own path, for a moment, to see yourself as a point on a line."
A walk from West Kennet: seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
"I'm walking this route to piece together a landscape that I've known since childhood, intimately, discretely, fragmentarily."
"Slow Networks": seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
"Slow Networks": seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
August 24, 2024 at 2:08 PM
"I'm walking this route to piece together a landscape that I've known since childhood, intimately, discretely, fragmentarily."
"Slow Networks": seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
"Slow Networks": seventy miles, thirty-five hours, four counties, two long barrows.
longbarrowpress.substack.com/p/slow-netwo...
'I cannot read the sky, I cannot place the constellations, but I can grasp a pattern of disturbance. There is a trick, a feint, to face the dark field without staring into it, to stay focused without a focal point.'
'Flights' (August 2021)
thehalt.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/f...
'Flights' (August 2021)
thehalt.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/f...
August 22, 2024 at 1:39 PM
'I cannot read the sky, I cannot place the constellations, but I can grasp a pattern of disturbance. There is a trick, a feint, to face the dark field without staring into it, to stay focused without a focal point.'
'Flights' (August 2021)
thehalt.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/f...
'Flights' (August 2021)
thehalt.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/f...
Ex-address, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 7 March 2021.
March 31, 2024 at 1:14 PM
Ex-address, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 7 March 2021.
Ex-comms, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 31 March 2021.
March 28, 2024 at 2:30 PM
Ex-comms, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 31 March 2021.
Ex-letterbox, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 31 March 2021.
March 27, 2024 at 1:00 PM
Ex-letterbox, Avec Building, Sidney Street, Sheffield, 31 March 2021.
